Induction of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN) in the KP Sharma Oli government has been delayed as there are five aspirants for one ministry. Chairman Upendra Yadav will lead one of the two ministries the party will get and there are five aspirants for the other ministry.
The left alliance of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) has already agreed to give two ministries and a state minister to FSFN which has also already taken a decision to join the government.
Co-chairman Rajendra Shrestha and vice-chairman Renu Kumari Yadav have been claiming for the health ministry the party will get. FSFN has been formed through merger of Yadav-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and Sanghiya Samajwadi Party led by Ashok Rai. The leaders of Rai faction now claim that one leader from the faction must get one ministry.
But the leaders from Madhes claim that leaders from Madhes should get to be ministers as the party did not get votes in the hills and almost all the party votes came from the plains.
Renu Kumari Yadav has been claiming she should get the post as a woman as per the principle of inclusion.
Chairman Yadav has made up his mind to take one of Shrestha or Renu Kumari Yadav to the government. But other aspirants have been putting pressure to take neither.
An FSFN leader told Setopati that the chairman is under pressure to include general secretary Ram Sahay Yadav in the Cabinet. "There are some who say he has never been in a controversy and should be given an opportunity," the leader stated.
Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rai, who was elected from Banke-2, has also been claiming for a ministry.
Uma Shankar Argariya of Dhanusha-2, who joined FSFN after Nepal Democratic Forum merged with Nepali Congress (NC), has also been claiming for a ministry. Hari Narayan Rauniyar of Parsa-3 has also told Yadav about his ministerial aspirations.
An FSFN source told Setopati that Rauniyar has been putting pressure on Yadav reminding the fund he provided for election expenses.
"He is promoter of Pappu Construction," the FSFN source said. "He has been claiming for the post citing the expenses he provided for Madhes Movement and election."
FSFN General Secretary Ram Sahay Yadav, however, claimed that participation of the party in the government has been delayed as the negotiation with UML has not concluded. "We have yet to sign on the issues including constitution amendment and negotiations have yet to end.
